Minneapolis Wedding Planner

Non-Floral Rental Centerpieces

2011-08-09T09:48:00.014-05:00

We are so excited to add more centerpieces to our rental collection. Our centerpieces are non-floral rental centerpieces. They are designed to stand on their own without floral, but of course a few flowers could be added. Our centerpieces consists of objects such as marbles, rocks, feathers, moss or steel balls, sand, shells, etc. Who wants to have to buy 20 lbs. of marble and try to resell them? Our prices range from $25-$45 per table which includes delivery (in the metro), set up and tear down. Could it get any better? Yes! We can even help you pair up linens, chair covers, etc. to make the designs coordinate, which is why we call them "design emsembles". If there is not anything you see below that you like, let us know and we can help you create something. We have ten more designs in the works with include coffee beans, eiffel tower vases, calla lillies (they are faux and look totally real), votive trees, etc. Contact us for more information and forgive our terrible pictures. Professional pictures of the designs coming soon. http://www.atyourserviceweddings.com/, 612-208-1051, info@atyourserviceweddings.com
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Shop favors on sale from 99 cents at The Knot Wedding Shop! Save on bubbles, coaster favors, personalized chocolates and much more.

2011-07-21T11:00:00.014-05:00

Yesterday, I heard an interesting comment. As I was setting up for an event at the Blaisdell Manor in Minneapolis, I began speaking with a woman who works there. She said that she does not allow her clients to see what goes into the preparation for their events because it "takes away the magic!" We were talking about all the work that goes into events. It is truly amazing what goes on behind the scenes during the creation of beautiful events. It is like day and night, literally! If people wonder whether or not the price of their caterer, DJ, and wedding coordinator is actually worth it, it usually is!

Every Saturday we go to a "bare venue" (great venues, I should add), and I always think, "Oh my gosh, how are we EVER going to get this done?!" But we jump right in! Tables go up, linens go on, someone starts setting tables, another is organizing the escort cards, cake table (or cupcakes), flowers, chairs and sashes. But shoot, we still need napkins folded, and it looks like it's starting to rain! We go to the company van and grab all ten umbrellas and cardboard boxes. The cardboard boxes act as sponges to soak up some of the rain and the umbrellas are for the guests to use while walking into the building (not knowing that the sun was actually going to come out in the nick-of-time). We run back and finish placing candles, table numbers, and everything else that needs completion. We put our finishing touches and...Voila! Magnificent! We have just enough time to run to the church and light candles before the wedding party needs boutonnieres and bouquets.

Now, from a bride's perspective, she wakes up in the morning running a little late, but has just enough time to get to the spa with her mom, sister, and closets girlfriends. They all get mani's and pedi's, get their hot stone massages and facials, have their hair and make-up done and put on their dresses. Everyone is looking and feeling their very best! They get the call that the limo is there to pick them up, so they head outside. In the limo they get their first glass of champagne and ride to the site for photography. When the photo shoot is over, it's time to get to the church for the ceremony. The violinist begins playing Pachelbel's Canon in D and the bridesmaids and groomsmen walk down the aisle. The bride walks to the entry of the church with her dad, and their guests stand. Among all the people, the towering flowers lining the aisle, flickering candles and the violin filling the church with breath-taking music, she sees her groom. This is where the "magic" is!

I think it is obvious which experience a bride would like to have on her wedding day. We exist for a reason! We thrive under stressful, crunch-like circumstances and we enjoy creating the magic for the bride and groom to experience with their families and friends!

In the months I have been working in this industry, my understanding of wedding planning has drastically changed! I realize now how much work it takes to plan a wedding and execute the plans in reality, so that it is smooth, romantic and flawless for everyone else present. I admit that I watched J-Lo's "The Wedding Planner" and David Tutera's "My Fair Wedding" and I have read all the bridal magazines and researched certification. I had the romantic dream of becoming a wedding planner! Now I have realized the Earth-shattering reality! The "magic" of wedding planning is not being the coordinator, it's being the bride with a wedding coordinator! That being said, I love it! It is fantastic to see the bride and groom glow in their magical day. And that day could not be as magical unless I had sweat all over it!

By Chelsea

What a Wedding!

2011-06-30T18:43:00.017-05:00

Congratulations to Meredith and Tom on their June 18th wedding! I had worked with Meredith and Tom for almost a year. It was a year of anticipation to see this wedding finally arrive. I knew that it was going to be fabulous...and it was. Rain and all.

First off, this couple had the unfortunate experience of booking a "venue". Now, the reason for the rabbit ears around the "venue" is that this place wasn't really a venue even though they sold themselves as a venue. Tom and Meredith booked the venue first then found me. I hadn't worked there before, but had heard about it and was excited to work there. I would say that 90% of the places we work on weekends are new places that we work. There are hundreds of venues in the cities let alone weddings at private residences. We can't possibly have worked everywhere. We have a process that we go through to familiarize ourselves with each venue after we sign a contract with a new client. So, I went to the venue to do a walk through. From the outside, this place was fabulous and I could see the appeal. From an experience stand point, I had a bad feeling about the place. I KNEW how much work it was going to be to pull this wedding off. And, I had a feeling that this place wasn't zoned to be a venue. That is not something that brides and grooms know to ask venues. But, venues should not be selling themselves as venues if they are not venues. Did that part make sense?

To make a long short short (to read the rest of the story, see a previous blog that I wrote), the wedding was moved to Gibbs Family Farm in Roseville. What a great location! I had worked there many, many years ago in my old life as an event planner for a not-for-profit. So, I knew the potential. This couple has an adorable dog that they wanted to attend the reception. They were told they could bring Scout as long as he didn't chase the chickens.

Meredith and Tom have very good taste and I knew that it would come out with their decisions. As they signed contracts and would forward them to me to have, I could envision what the day was going to look like months in advance. They went with Apres Party and Tent Rental for the tent, white padded chairs, granite bar, and floor length white linens. Yes, we were in dirt. But, the floor length linens really classed up the red barn. Their classic touches they brought in, like the granite bar, were just what was needed to make the event feel elegant and not like a hoe down.

Jennifer with Luna Vinca is one of my favorite florists to work with. She always does a fantastic job working with the couples and really cares about their vision. You can see from the pictures the beautiful centerpieces she helped Meredith and Tom design. Meredith is a thrift store addict. She scoured the stores looking for white milk glass and antique champagne glasses that Jennifer could use for centerpiece containers. You can see how it all turned out.

Two weeks before the wedding I was sitting with Tom and Meredith in our final meeting and Meredith made a comment about how disappointed she was to not have antique china for the plates. We had talked early on about her collecting dinner plates from the thrift stores but how much work it would be. Ironically, I had just been to a wedding professionals meeting and one of the presenters was a lady that started a vintage china rental company! What are the odds? So, I found Vicki's information and passed it to Meredith. One week before the wedding she had switched the plates out from Apres to use Vicki's. Her company is called Revived Tableware. The dishes were perfect for this wedding.

Meredith did collect vintage tea cup saucers from the thrift stores and they were used for the cake buffet. They had a cupcake buffet from Sweets Bakeshop. As a vendor, I don't typically eat the food. I am working, I am not a guest. But, my rule is that when I am putting out the cupcakes for the cupcake buffet and one "accidentally" gets smushed, I can eat it. Salted Caramel is my new favorite. I wished I hadn't been working because beer would have been FABULOUS with that cupcake.

The music was fantastic also. They hired an accordian player, Dan, from Daddy Squeeze Music and also Adagio Djay for their DJ service. Dan and Ryan worked really well together. When Dan needed a break, Ryan would fill in with music during the breaks. Then, when dinner started, Ryan took over for the night. Both gentlemen were great to work with. I can always count on Jay from Adagio Djay to send out the very best DJ's to work with.

So,I have talked about the flowers and talked about the linens. What is left? Food! I can never forget about my good friend Nate Lane from Thyme to Entertain. I love that guy! Did I mention this entire meal was vegan? Yes, it was! And, it was fabulous (yes, I did eat late into the night). So, Nate's staff arrives and they always hit the ground running unloading the trucks. Nate is the owner and always works the events. He is just not some guy sitting in an office collecting the checks. Nate carries, runs, and lifts just as much as his staff. And, he was also the last to go home that night too. So, Nate is this crazy chef that I love to work with that has this 1970ish fire engine. The back end of it has been fabricated into a wood-fire pizza oven. Meredith and Tom didn't have his pizzas that night. I have had his pizzas before and they are pretty frickin' good. The fire truck that night did act as his "hot source" and kept the grains and vegetables hot. I was setting up the tent but I knew that he had put wood in the oven because the smell was incredible. I love working with Thyme to entertain because they have "table centerpieces" which are a small marble slab with a starter on them like olives, hummus, handmade crackers, homemade pickles, etc. Then, they served the tables family style. Remember when you were a kid and used to eat as a family? It is kind of like that. The platters are passed around the table and everyone puts on their plate what they want. Nate has large, white, oval platters that look great on the table. It is fun to watch people pass them around.

You can see from the pictures how beautiful this wedding was. Lace/Hanky was the photographer that night and I can't wait to see her pictures when they are done! They only bad part.....it rained....a lot. But, the music went on and everyone had a good time. Then I ate another salted caramel cupcake...

What Suite Number is Yours?

2011-06-27T20:29:00.003-05:00

That night, the bride and groom had me take their gifts to their apartment, when we got there, we couldn't get the key to work in the door. Then we realized the door was unlocked! So we went in a little creeped out, but thankful that we could get in. We unloaded some gifts and then noticed some college diplomas on the wall. We found it odd that the diplomas weren't the bride's or the groom's. Then we noticed pictures of a man and woman that weren't the bride or groom either!! That's when we realized it wasn't the right apartment!! So we packed up as quickly as possible!! When we found the right apartment (in a different building) we were SOOOOO relieved! Besides being extremely nervous, we thought it was hilarious!!! What are the chances that we would go to the wrong apartment, same loft number, and it would be UNLOCKED?! Ironic!

...And this is a funny sign in the elevator!

You know what they say...

2011-06-27T19:41:00.004-05:00

Rain is good luck on a wedding day! Last Saturday, At Your Service Weddings had an outside reception at Gibbs Museum in St. Paul, MN. Thanks goodness the bride and groom chose a huge tent from Aprés Party and Tent Rental because it rained all day! The ground was covered with mud puddles so we had to get creative!

After we we got the rain/puddle situation settled with cardboard boxes and umbrellas guests of the wedding were able to enjoy a fantastic vegan/vegetarian meal made by Nate owner of Thyme to Entertain Catering. Nate even brought his fire truck-oven!

We were so excited that the table settings were from Revived Tableware. They were so cool, so beautiful!

The DJ was great! And they even hired an accordion player.
The reception was great and the bride and groom were very happy with everything despite the rain!
So it must be true... rain is good luck on a wedding day!!

2011-06-27T19:36:00.002-05:00

The Knot

2011-06-10T21:02:00.005-05:00

So far, my internship has been above and beyond my expectations! I have experienced SO much in such little time. I am 21 years old and going to great cocktail parties! This past Tuesday was The Knot's annual cocktail party that had an Arabian theme and everything was FANTASTIC! The hors d'oeuvres were better than I have ever tasted. They served salmon, tuna, lamb, beef, mushroom soup, steak, mashed potatoes, and so many more that all lined the perimeter of the room. I was so disappointed that I didn't make it to the dessert table, but they too looked great! They had belly dancers, ice sculptures, and the flowers were amazing! The colors were vibrant reds, purples, oranges and gold and the draping gave the room a fun, Arabian feel. There were even ladies giving guests henna and bindis. It was a great opportunity to get to know other local wedding vendors and get new creative ideas for events! Oh, and it was really fun going into the photobooth and getting some super-silly snap-shots!

The New Intern

2011-06-02T22:17:00.002-05:00

Hello, my name is Chelsea Barr and I am Lora's new intern! For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a wedding planner. I watched all the glamorous wedding shows on TLC and WE tv, I own "The Wedding Planner" the movie, and I have researched over and over "how to become a wedding planner." Lots of websites want to sell you their certification program or some kind of training course, and I ALMOST bought one!

One thing I learned right off the bat is that getting into the event/wedding planning industry is that it is NOT easy! To "qualify" you need lots of experience, but to get experience you need to have experience! I learned this when I was looking for a summer job. I figured I could hit two birds with one stone if I could earn experience and money working in the industry! BUT this was not as easy as it seemed. I sent out many emails inquiring job opportunities and every person that responded either didn't have an opening, or they advised me to volunteer my time to build my resume. So I sent out 30 resumes all with the objective to volunteer my time to gain experience in the wedding industry. The only response I received was Lora from At Your Service Weddings! Her email to me was titled, "You Are Hired!" The next week I started and I have been interning for about a month now. While I still consider purchasing a certification program, the value of the time I have spent with Lora is greater and more educational than any course! I have realized why experience is SO incredibly important: NETWORKING!!!!!

To Be Continued...

New Design Ensemble - Wine Wedding

2011-03-03T10:43:00.008-06:00

I love this one! It turned out great. This is the Design Ensemble for our Wine Wedding.

Details about it:
•The acrylic tray is 14x14” wide and 3” high. So, it is a big centerpiece
•High quality plastic grapes. I wouldn’t use real because they will stain the linen. Believe it or not but faux fruit and silk flowers come in different increments of quality.
•The centerpiece is on a black linen.
•In the wine glasses are tea candles. If needed more than six hours then we could switch to LED or floating candles for ten hours
•All candles are within venue enclosed flame policies
•Real callas in the vases, not silk.
•The three wine bottles have different labels. One label is the table number. Another label is a thank you from the bride and groom. The last label is an engagement picture. For a small, additional charge we could do a different picture on each bottle, different fonts, or different font colors.
•Centerpiece cost includes consultation time, delivery, set-up, and tear-down.

We have already had inquiries about this Design Ensemble and it hasn't even hit the presses yet! Please contact me for more information or pricing.

New - Design Ensembles

2011-02-23T10:11:00.013-06:00

We are so excited to launch our new Design Ensemble service! This is not a new concept. It is something we have been doing for years upon individual client request. Now, we are streamlining the process to make wedding planning easier for everyone.

What is it? It is the concept of having a unifiying design between all of your wedding decor items, accessory, and stationary pieces. The definition of ensemble is: A group or unit of complimentary parts that contribute to a single effect. If you walk into Michael's you are going to see a "collection" of a ring bearer pillow, cake cutter, flower girl basket, and guest book with the same unifying look. What about everything else that goes into a wedding? And, well, some of that stuff is a little dated looking anyway. What we have done is taken the work out of it for the brides. We have taken one look and coordinated all of the pieces in advance. You can pick and choose which items you want. We rent the items to you, go and set them up, and take everything down. Presto! If you don't like a particular element in the centerpiece, we can talk about a substitution. Our centerpiece ensembles are about 95% non-floral. You would go through a florist for your bouquets and personal flowers. We have many great ones that we have worked with and can make great recommendations.

Why have we done this? For a number of reasons: 1) I have a lot of new clients that come into the office that don't have the time to coordinate everything but still want everything coordinated together. 2) They don't have the budget to work with a wedding designer to coordinate everything for them. 3) They have great taste and don't always know how to coordinate everything together themselves but know a great finished product when they see it. 4) Not all brides want floral centerpieces so where do they go for something else? 5) Not everyone is a Do It Yourselfer but they end up doing it themselves because they don't know where to go otherwise. 6) And, if you don't do floral centerpieces, who is going to do the set-up?

Is this a "wedding in a box" design collection? Kind of, but not really. Yes it is because it can be that easy. No it isn't because each Design Ensemble doesn't have that cookie cutter look to it. Each one of these Design Ensembles has already been the highlight of a previous client's wedding. We have just dug through our files, picked out the best of the best, and are now offering it to future clients. A bride can take our ideas and also create them on their own. But, once they start looking into how much each individual piece costs, how to put everything together, and where does it all come from, it is just easier and more cost effective to go through us. Hopefully they hadn't bought anything before they realize that they will be in pictures when the set-up is happening and can't actually set everything up themselves. Another problem that is alleviated by working with us is the dilemma of what to do with the stuff afterwards if you do pull everything together yourself. Do you really want to spend another ten hours on cragslist trying to get rid of everything for the same price?

Each Design Ensemble includes the option to rent or purchase:

Custom made, unique non-floral centerpiece

Coordinating votives for additional ambiance

Table linen, runner, or overlay

Chair cover with or without sash

Cocktail and non-guest table decorations

Place cards

Table numbers

Menu cards

Bathroom primp basket

Hotel welcome baskets

Invitations with RSVP cards

Save the dates

Thank you cards

Cake cutter

Cake topper

Guest book

Champagne flutes

Flower girl basket

Ring bearer pillow

Unity candle

Ceremony programs

Aisle/pew markers

Candy buffet with coordinating scoopers and bags

Garter

We are in the early stages of pulling this all together but I have posted what we have come up with so far. If you are interested in more information on a particular Design Ensemble or the details of this service, contact me and I can walk you through it. This will all be on our website soon.

Also, coming are:
Wine Wedding
Spring Wedding with Eiffle tower vases and callas
Recycled Wedding
Beach Wedding
In Love with Red Wedding
Polka Dot Explosion
Autumn Wonder
Retro Wedding
Fire & Ice Wedding
6 contemporary designs to choose from.

Enjoy!

If I used my cake cutter to cut pvc pipe will it still cut cake?

2011-02-12T14:00:00.006-06:00

One of the things that I have always sworn that I would teach my children is how to be themselves. I always felt akward growing up because my ideas were always a little bit different from everyone around me. I was never told that they were dumb or stupid. I just knew that they were different. I was maybe about nine years old and we were packing to go to Billings for a family wedding. I wanted to wear a white shirt, jean skirt, and this white and blue vintage straw grandma hat. I thought my mom's eyeballs were going to pop out of her head when she saw me packing that outfit. Now as an adult and a parent I see why my mom was hesitant.

These days, if you want to see my husband's eye balls pop out of his head say the words, "I have an idea". He is really a patient, kind person. But he knows that with these words it is going to cost him money and there is a project on the horizon. He doesn't have a handy bone in his body so this is why these are painful words. The humorous part is that our three boys have learned this expression. When they say it I can feel my husband's groan even if I don't hear it. He is a good sport with the "creativity" at our house.

As an adult, I am learning that it is ok to be myself and have learned to let my freak flag fly. I don't think my clients would like it if I showed up to their wedding with hot pink hair, but I can at least harness my energy for the greater good. Last Sunday I had a booth in the Book of Love Bridal Show put on by MN Bride Magazine. It has been a very busy (in a good way) January. February hasn't been looking any easier. I am not a procrastinator. My husband's procrastination on things makes my eyes pop out of my head. But, I ended up working on my booth the night before the show. I wanted to create a new table top frame for my display. So, I was running to Menard's at 7 pm the night before the fair. When I got back to my office I started assembling my frame out of pvc pipe. I could have sworn that I left my hack saw at the office from a project in November. But, I couldn't find it. Thank goodness for my McGyver skills. My cake knife did the trick with cutting the pvc pipe into the sizes that I needed. Now, I just need to take it home, wash it, and test it out on some cake to see how well it still cuts!

The best part of being an adult and recognizing that a strength of mine is to think out of the box is that it benefits my clients. The con is that I can't sleep at night because I can't shut my brain off. Fortunately, I made an unexpected score at Menard's that night for a client. This Menard's is closing so everything was on sale for 40% off. I have a client getting married in February 2012. A couple of weeks ago we were admiring Kate Aspen favors at a wedding fair. Picture below. Total for what she would need would be about $350. On a shelf at Menard's I saw two boxes of completely clear Christmas tree bulbs. I thought to myself, "OMG, too bad there are not more. I could totally see us turning these into favors". The best thing about these clients are that the bride and MOB are really crafty and DIYers themselves. It has been a lot of fun to come up with a centerpiece that we could do ourselves. Not all of my clients are DIYers and that is ok. I think we are having a really good balance of making it ourselves and making sure it doesn't look like crap when you make it yourself. Then, I turned the corner and I saw the biggest pile of clear Christmas tree bulbs that thee eye would ever see. I think I heard an angel playing in the background even. I ran to get a cart and loaded it up with 50 boxes of ornaments - 6 in a box for a total of 300. The cost? $45. At the check out they said I could bring them back if she didn't like the idea. I snapped a picture and sent it to the client. She is so excited and we have already generated a ton of ideas on how to personalize the bulbs.

So, when Mikolas wants to wear his Spiderman costume to the grocery store in June, I am ok with it. When Sebastian wants to wear his Thomas the Train rubber boots with shorts in summer to Target, that is ok too. My point is that they also have freak flags and I am going to let them fly them. It will pay off eventually when they can harness that creativity for client projects. I think it is a win/win for everyone. Clients with freak flags are welcome.

This is how the booth turned out!

Oh, this makes my head hurt...

2011-02-01T08:47:00.004-06:00

I am so terrible at keeping up with my blog. I am going to be honest, I hate to write. Love, love, love to read, but I hate to write. My husband is always highly surprised by that when I say it because I am, as he says, highly creative and amibitious so a blog should come easy to me. Not so much. So, my New Year's business resolution is to try and blog at least once a week.....once every other week at least. I have so many fun pictures from the 2010 summer and fall weddings that they really need to be posted and shared.

I did want to touch base on the latest issue that has needed my attention for the last three weeks - probably more. It has been a big pain, a big headache, and a mini nightmare. When I have a bride cry, that is when I need to start throwing down the smack.

Last year, I had two different clients sign a contract at the same venue for different wedding days. I hadn't heard of this place before. When I received one of the contracts, the contract made me groan. This "venue" is an abandoned factory in Minneapolis that has been turned into an art gallery. It has a high rental fee, but my clients have to clean their bathrooms at the end of the night and the bathrooms are not cleaned for them before we arrive. There is also no heat or a/c so they only do weddings seaonsally. The space is very raw. There were things in the contract that I didn't like, but the brides had already signed off so my hands were tied.

In December, I made an appointment to do a walk through. I had such a bad feeling from being in there. Great space - but I could tell right away that the zoning was not right. I also knew that my clients had no idea how much it was going to take to accomplish what needed to be done in a few short hours to pull off what they wanted to be ready on time. Could it happen? Absolutely. But, for a price. My mental caluculator was whirling away.

I didn't leave with a good feeling. I don't know exact formulas for zoning, but I know enough to know that it wasn't even close. My tour guide and owner told me that they can hold 1,000. Not with only three tiolets, my dear.

So, I left and I let it simmer for a few weeks. Do I call the fire marshall and check it out? What if I am right and the place gets shut down? Then I have two clients upset at me for getting the place shut down. There is also the possibility that the venue gets a fine and the venue "takes it out" on my clients by being very unaccomodating and making things miserable. Or, do I not do anything and something happens that day. Then I am up a creek with angry clients for not knowing. Worse yet - someone gets hurt.

So, I took the road that causes trouble for everyone. I called the fire marshall and business licensing and find out that my hunch was correct. We talk about my clients getting a "temporary gathering permit". A temporary gathering permit would be a permit needed when we have an event in a tent in the family backyard. It gives them permission to have a large gathering at the property. At first, it looks like the city may grant it. But then, the city looked into how far away the venue is from actually being licensed and says, no way.

So, now I place two calls to clients to inform them of what has happened. While I am feeling like a dream crusher, both couples are thankful for my expertise. What happens next? For the June clients, there is no question in their minds that they need to pull out. They request their deposit back and receive an apology the next day. The venue was under the assumption that they could still have events there during the renovation. They also received their deposit back the next day. Way cool! We were out looking at two new locations when the groom received the email. We were doing high fives in the parking lot.

For the September client, it gets a little sticker. The venue is planning on being licensed as an event center by mid-summer. Should she stay or should she go? We are still working on that.

Lessons learned - always listen to your gut and know your stuff. Wedding planning goes way beyond pretty flowers and the perfect shade of pink. There are tons and tons of other things that we need to know that the client doesn't even know we know - legal, zoning, weather, truck sizing, table dimensions, electrical, plumbing, etc. We wear many hats.

On a lighter note - I am going to switch over my lead picture to this one. Love it! Thanks Jacki V. www.jackiv.com. This is Marissa & Robb at their December 4th wedding at Graves 601. Fantastic wedding. Cute couple.

Wedding Planner Certificate or Not?

2010-08-23T16:45:00.002-05:00

For the past couple of years I see ad after ad regarding "wedding planner certification". It tokes that you can became a wedding planner by going through these courses. Through varies debates and conversations with colleagues, I have concluded....nothing. In the wedding planner industry it stands to say that there are many, many different routes to becoming a wedding planner. Who am I to say that there is only but one and it is the best.

Yes, you will see through my credentials that I am a certified wedding planner through the Association of Bridal Consultants. To be fair and honest, it was nothing more than a few open book tests. Was it good to go through the process? Probably. Would I put it up against my long standing wedding industry resume? Probably not.

Reading through a book and actually being out in the field getting training are two different things. Do I think you can go through an organizations wedding planning certification process of reading a book and taking a test and pairing that up with your own field training? Absolutely. I was asked to sit in on a seminar called "Weducation". It is a one-day seminar/workshop for aspiring wedding planners created by a dear colleague of mine, Amy Rubins. She is the owner of Fete Perfection. Amy is a full-service wedding planner that does many, many destination weddings. She recognized a need that these online programs needed some hands-on training attached to it. She also made the connection that it was a good introduction for vendors to see what a wedding planner does, how we can make their job easier, and the seminar can also give them insight as to what the other vendors do. Example - It is good for a cake baker to see what a DJ can do and how they can work together. Amy's workshop was FANTASTIC. I strongly encourage anyone that is thinking about becoming a wedding planner to take this course before they think about the switch. I also strongly encourage wedding vendors (DJ's, bakers, transportation, reception venue wedding planners, etc.) to take this course.

What's my point? I am not convinced that a wedding planning certificate is all that it is cracked up to be unless it is also paired up with hands on training of some kind. Books don't teach you how to "throw down" or "dress" a round table complete with linens, chairs, chargers, flatware, and all the glassware at the last minute when the bride doesn't give the caterer the right guest count and another eight guests walked in and they don't have a table. Tests also don't teach you "timing" for the day. How long does it take to put on 150 chair covers with a kimono sash tie or 150 placecards in alphabetical order outdoors with the wind blowing?

To be continued...

Favors, Accessories, and Treats

2010-08-11T14:33:00.006-05:00

If you are on the hunt for the perfect favor, start with these, fun websites. They have tons and tons of new and unique products that could help set your wedding apart from the other ten weddings your friends are attending this year. I just purchased a black and white parasol to carry with me on the day of the wedding for my clients. It is uber cute for pictures and fantastic to have at the last minute for shade.

Wine, Cheese & Chat Night for Brides for August

2010-07-14T11:18:00.003-05:00

Wine, Cheese & Chat Night for Brides is a time for brides to come together and bounce their own wedding ideas, plans, and questions off of other brides over wine and cheese in a small, intimate setting. The monthly group is next scheduled on Tuesday, August 17th from 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm. Yes! We said Free Event. This is probably the only thing you haven't had to open your wallet for in planning your wedding thus far!

We host this event once a month. Attend as many events as you wish. You do not need to be a current client of ours to attend (nor will we try to talk you into being a client). This is your time to plan your wedding without having to sit in front of a computer. We will have a “Minute Clinic” available for any brides that want to take advantage of chatting with a professional wedding planner with no charge. Yes, we said no charge.

Please RSVP at: lora@atyourserviceweddngs.com or 612-208-1051. Wine, Cheese & Chat Night for Brides is held in the At Your Service Weddings office in International Market Square building near downtown Minneapolis. Our address is 275 Market St, Suite C-27, Minneapolis, 55405. Visit www.imsdesigncenter.com for directions. Our office is on the lower level. At the glass elevator in the event atrium go down the steps and turn left. Please note that IMS closes at 7 pm. If you are running late, please call and we will let you in.

Next Wine, Cheese & Chat Night for Brides is scheduled for Tuesday, July 13th

2010-06-29T13:26:00.002-05:00

Wine, Cheese & Chat Night for Brides is a time for brides to come together and bounce their own wedding ideas, plans, and questions off of other brides over wine and cheese in an intimate setting. The monthly event is next scheduled on Tuesday, July 13th from 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm. Yes! We said Free Event. This is probably the only thing you haven't had to open your wallet for in planning your wedding thus far!

We host this event once a month. Attend as many events as you wish. You do not need to be a current client of ours to attend (nor will we try to talk you into being a client). This is your time to plan your wedding without having to sit in front of a computer. We will have a “Minute Clinic” available for any brides that want to take advantage of chatting with a professional wedding planner with no charge. Yes, we said no charge.

Please RSVP at: lora@atyourserviceweddngs.com or 612-208-1051. Wine, Cheese & Chat Night for Brides is held in the At Your Service Weddings office in International Market Square building near downtown Minneapolis. Our address is 275 Market St, Suite C-27, Minneapolis, 55405. Visit www.imsdesigncenter.com for directions. Our office is on the lower level. At the glass elevator in the event atrium go down the steps and turn left. Please note that IMS closes at 7 pm. If you are running late, please call and we will let you in.

Two new services!

2010-06-04T14:17:00.002-05:00

We love our two newest services. We now do decorating set-up or midnight tear-down. Moms love these services too. When they can, friends take care of a lot of the decorating during the day. It is a rare luxury to be able to get into the reception and ceremony venues the evening before to do their decorating at a leisurely pace. Friends are not always able to do it. This is where we step in.

But who cleans up at the end of the night? You do. The bride, groom, friends, family and the last guy at the bar. Everyone is tired. Everyone is ready to go home and go to bed. The bride and groom haven't been alone all day and just want to be together. This is a great gift to give yourself and your family. We package up all of the table-top decor and accessories and deliver them to you the next day. What could be better?

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

2010-05-20T11:02:00.012-05:00

Minneapolis voluteers gone wild!

We had a very successful event this weekend because of the brides, volunteers and vendors that came together to make this event happen! The 2010 Brides Against Breast Cancer Nationwide Gown Tour Event was fabulous. The grand total raised for the event was $15,300! We sold 24 gowns and about 30 other accessories. Overall, Making Memories was thrilled. They are going to do great things with the proceeds. Brides were leaving excited with their deals. We shed some tears over brides that were purchasing dresses in memory of loved ones that have passed from breast cancer. Everyone from volunteers, the foundation, the vendors, to the brides were thrilled. Thank you all for helping to make this event a success.

I am planning on bringing this event back next year and would love everyone's help again. We are going to need it because we will have an entire year to plan this time and it will be much busier! I planned this year's event in three months. We are looking at February or March 2011. To keep up with the event date, each of their 50 events has a flier on the bridesagainstbreastcancer.org website and you can check our date there.

Also, pass along to everyone that my office is a drop-off site for donated dresses all year round. My office is in International Market Square. I ask for a $20 donation to assist in some shipping and handling and cover the additional cost above and beyond that. I will also package up the dresses and send them.

Thank you to everyone involved and see you all next year!

Myself and Brenda the Making Memories Tour Director. I can't say enough good things about Brenda. She talked to each bride that has experienced the passing of a loved one to breast cancer. She said, "Tell me about your mom. I didn't get the chance to meet her. What hobbies did she have?" I was a puddle of tears. FYI- the brides that made purchases don't have breast cancer nor do you have to have a breast cancer connection to make a purchase or attend. That is just where the proceeds go.

Myself and Amanda. Amanda is the Events Manager at the Milwaukee County War Memorial Center in Milwaukee. She planned the BABC event in Milwaukee this past April and raised $30,000! She had such a great time that she drove to Mpls to help us out. Watch out Amanda, we are going after that number for next year!

It is hard to tell in this picture what is happening but the volunteers are doing a "facedown". It is coined by a photographer in Seattle that you fall down on your face like you are exhausted and take a picture. People then send them to her from around the world and she puts them on her facebook. We had to do one for her in the shape of a pink ribbon.

I also want to thank the vendors/individuals involved:

Amy and Anna with Fete Perfection, POSH Bridal, General Mills, Target, The Wedding Shoppe, Designs by Lisa located in IMS, and Baker Knapp & Tubbs located in IMS all sent over rock star volunteers!
The vendors that played a part in being there that day. Jill from the Marriott who was our location host, Bellagala for the music, Erin Johnson Photography, Meg Hillary Luminaries, Studebakers Photobooth and Renee's Royal Valet for bringing the pink limo, The Traveling Photobooth, and Merina Bruda of Photo Bloom.
Thank you to the companies that jumped on board to help promote the event without even hesitating: MN Bride, Twin City Bridal Association, Mpls St. Paul Magazine, KARE 11, metromag.com, KSTP, and Twin Cities METRO.
Also, thank you to the vendors that sponsored the goodie bags: Twin City Bridal Association, Saavi, D'Amico, Dancers Studio, Adagio DJay Entertainment, Richfiled Flowers & Events, Ramada Plaza Minneapolis, The Copper Street Brass Quintet, and MN Bride.

Another Great Wedding!

2010-04-16T14:53:00.006-05:00

I love Pam & Justin! What a wonderful couple. They are really a great fit for each other. I really enjoyed working with Pam. She was one of those rare brides that said she was organized and actually was. They got hitched last Saturday and here are some of the pictures.

Usually brides have way more questions for us with our Day of Coordination package then Pam did. Pam was totally on top of things and needed little from us for pre-wedding prep. We met for our final meeting one week before the wedding and she was THRILLED to turn over the infamous binder that haunted their kitchen counter. She said that Justin was just as thrilled to finally have it make it's final exit out the door. Pam is a person that is always organized and in control of the situation. I did question how she was going to really feel with turning over to us her planning project that she worked so hard on all year. She didn't hesitate to say that she had no doubts in what we will do for her this next week to wrap up the planning.

The wedding ceremony and reception were both held at Central Park in Woodbury. FYI: Blaine with Central Park is fantastic to work with. Really nice guy. Elizabeth - thanks for all of your assistance in tearing down some of the tables for the dance. If you haven't been to this facility, you have to go and visit. It is part of the City of Woodbury buildings. Stop in for ice cream sometime. They have indoor trees, a waterfall, running stream, bridge, and tons of green plants. You can sit on a bench under a tree and smell the dirt on a day when it is below zero and there is snow on the ground. We did not have a rehearsal on Friday night. That shows you how no hassle this bride is. I did some light set up during the day with the decorations she provided (guest book, cake cutter, etc.). When the wedding party and family arrived, we did do a quick rehearsal on the amphitheater stage where the ceremony was to be held. They had Kurt Jorgensen perform for the ceremony music. Kurt is a dream to work with. Beautiful voice and extremely professional. Very impressed with Kurt. For the processional music, we actually had a heavy metal song by a band called Five Finger Death Punch for the groom and groomsmen to walk in to. That was a first for me. Very cool though. Blaine helped me to run the 1:40 minute song off of an iPod through the sound booth so I could do the cues for everyone to walk in. The ceremony was about five minutes long and it has to be the shortest I have ever done.

For the reception, Pam arranged for Complete Beverage Service to provide the bar service. Kilkarney Hills Golf Club in River Falls, WI provided the food. Again, two exceptional vendors. Pam decided to do heavy appetizers for a relaxed reception feel. I packaged up leftovers at the end of the night in to-go containers and guests left happy.

Last but not least, the baker and photographer. Ginamarie, I craved your cake all day on Sunday. As a vendor, I shouldn't be eating the cake. But I couldn't resist. It smelled so good! Ginamarie with Wrapped Up Confections also makes exquisit chocolates and candies. She made a custom-made cake topper out of the Five Finger Death Punch symbol in chocolate. wrappedupconfections@yahoo.com

Dustin Scholl was a photographer that I hadn't worked with before. I really hope to work with him again. Amazingly easy to communicate with and enjoyable to be around. I think these pictures speak for themselves. http://dustinschollphotography.shutterfly.com/.

Congrats Pam & Justin!

Check out their review of At Your Service Weddings on http://www.weddingwire.com/

Brides Against Breast Cancer Nationwide Tour of Gowns

2010-03-30T11:09:00.004-05:00

We are so thrilled to be planning the Twin Cities Brides Against Breast Cancer Nationwide Gown Tour Event! This event hasn't come to the Twin Cities for quite a few years and we are excited to be sponsoring it. It will be happening on May 14th and 15th at the Marriott West in St. Louis Park. Jill at the Marriott is fabulous to work with and it is such a beautiful hotel with a contemporary look with splashes of dark red.

This fundraiser is basically a bridal shop on wheels. It is the largest fundraiser for an organization called Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation, headquartered in Oregon. Making Memories grants wishes to stage IV breast cancer patients. All sales from the gown tour go toward making these wishes happen. Many of the wishes are video cameras to record the remainder of the patients lives. Other wishes are trips.

Wedding gowns are donated to Making Memories throughout the year from past brides, manufacturers, designers, and bridal shops. The gowns are put on a truck and travel to over 40 cities for a gown sale. The price for most gowns start at $99. Couture gowns are 35-75% off of retail price. Veils, tiaras, shoes, and other accessories will also be on sale.

General Admission is free and takes place on Friday from 12-8 and Saturday from 10-6. Brides are encouraged to go to www.bridesagainstbreastcancer.org to register for the event. There will be Power Hours on Friday from 10-12. These Power Hours are the first opportnity to take a look at the dresses and make a purchase. It is $20 per person. You can purchase a ticket on www.bridesagainstbreastcancer.org in advance.

If you want to help in some other way, here are a few ways that you can:

1. Volunteer - Here is a breakdown of what times/dates we still need coverage for. Please let me know if you are interested in signing up for a shift or three.

Thursday, May 13th
5 pm -8 pm: Set up the event (Unload the gowns, arrange the dresses and accessories, etc.)

Friday, May 14th
4 pm - 8 pm: General Sale hours: Assist brides in gown selections, run dresses back to the racks, keep accessories and shoes organized, assist with merchandise sale, etc.)

Saturday, May 15th
10 am - 2 pm: See General Sale hours above
2 pm - 6 pm: See General Sale hours above
6 pm - 9 pm: Tear down (Repack dresses, load racks on trucks, etc.)

2. Pass this event information on to anyone that you think is interested in volunteering OR attending the event to purchase a gown.

3. Or, if you have a gown or know someone that has a gown that they want to donate, they can bring it to our office before the event. The office is a drop off site for dresses all year long. But, if they bring it here before the event, we can put it on the truck instead of shipping it to their headquarters in Oregon. Any dresses that are put on the truck go directly to headquarters for cleaning and processing. They then go to a different city. They would love the gowns to be from 2006 or newer.

4. If you know of anyone that is a stage IV breast cancer patient and they may want a wish, they can go to the main website and ask for wish information. www.bridesagainastbrastcancer.org.

5. If you are a wedding vendor, we have two more tables for "booths" for sale. If you are interested, please contact Lora at At Your Service Weddings

For more information on this event, please go to www.bridesagainstbreastcancer.org. There is a flier on their site that has our local event information.

Welcome Back Blog

2010-03-12T12:05:00.005-06:00

Check out the ice sculpture from our new friend Trevor at Metro Ice Sculptures. We came up with a couple pretty "cool" ideas for the bouquets at the reception site. Give him a call to check out the ideas.

Welcome back! It has been quite some time since the last blog. So many things have happened. It has been a great start to the new year and new wedding season. Here's a quick recap.

We have spent hours this past winter refining our services and defining what they mean to us. We decided to go back to the basics. We believe that weddings should not put couples into major debt. Nor do we believe that it takes a vault full of cash to have a beautiful, elegant wedding. With some creativity, reflection, and a plan you can plan the event you have always wanted. All of our services and packages are designed for couples that want to do their own planning. We specialize in Day of Coordination for a reason. We are good at it and that is what we enjoy. Our DOC package goes beyond just the wedding day. You also have assistance with your planning whenever you need it. Our ala carte services and hourly consulting can assist all couples in various stages of their planning. We just step in and help when there is something that they either don't want to do or don't know how to do.

The best part is that we have lowered, yes, lowered all of our pricing. We stepped back one day and asked how we can really help all couples. Through money of course. This doesn't mean that we lowered our quality. Nor does it mean that we are inexperienced. We just want to be a part of everyone's planning in various increments.

Our new office in International Market Square is coming along nicely. We think it may always be a work in progress though (just like owning a home). All brides are welcome to stop in between the hours of 10-4, Monday-Friday to browse our wedding accessories. We also have access to order a gazillion more items at reduced rates for couples. You don't need to be a client or under contract to stop in and make a purchase.

We also have our Idea Libary ready to assist in the planning. Again, you do not need to be a client or in a contract to spend time in the library. It is free and you don't need to schedule an appointment to browse. Basically, we have spent years, and we mean years, collecting pictures from magazines and other resources. Everything is referenced in a binder by group. So, if you are only looking for cake designs, you can pull the cake binder and see hundreds of cake pictures. We have categories for hair, accessories, invitations, overall wedding design, floral decoration ideas, non-floral decoration ideas, etc. You could spend hours going through the binders. We will start a pot of coffee for you. Just flag any pictures you like and we will make a photo copy for you.

We have many other great things happening. Stay tuned...

2009-12-04T13:47:00.006-06:00

We are pleased to announce that we just become a wedding gown drop off location for the Brides Against Breast Cancer event. Brides Against Breast Cancer Nationwide Tour of Gowns is an event that both brides-to-be and new brides can participate in. It is the largest fundraiser for Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation. The Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to granting wishes for stage IV breast cancer patients.

Every year, they go "on the road" to over 40 cities to host their Brides Against Breast Cancer Nationwide Tour of Gowns event. The event gives local brides-to-be the opportunity to find their dream gowns while making wishes come true for breast cancer patients. It is an opportunity for new brides to donate their dresses for a wonderful cause. The brides mail their dresses to the organization throughout the year.

All gowns featured at the events have been donated by famous designers, retailers, manufacturers and individuals. Gown sizes range from 2-28 and are marked down by about 35% to 75%. Prices start at just $99. Couture gowns are also available, some valued at $8,000. Making Memories is currently accepting gown donations from 2005 and newer. Donated gowns can be shipped to the warehouse in Oregon.
Making Memories has granted a number of wishes from trips to Disneyworld, swimming with the dolphins, birthday parties, weddings, tickets to sporting events and camcorders to record last memories.

To attend the event and purchase a dress, the closest one to us at this point is in Milwaukee over April 9th and 10th. To donate a dress either ship it to their warehouse or drop it off at At Your Service Weddings in Minneapolis with $20 for shipping. We will package up your dress and send it for you. Our office is open from 10-4, Monday-Friday. See the Brides Against Breast Cancer website for further information and our Contact page for directions to drop off your gown.

Our New Office!

2009-11-20T13:51:00.005-06:00

We are so excited to be in our new office space! Our office is located in the International Market Square building on the west side of downtown Minneapolis. We are on the concourse level next to D'Amico Catering's sales office. We now offer a small selection of vase rental with decor design, invitations to be ordered along with other stationery pieces, and other items to be purchased or ordered like votives, flower girl baskets, guest books, etc. Our inventory is small at this point but will grow with the coming year. If we don't currently have it we can still help you get it!

As always, we offer hourly consulting, semi- and full-service planning, and wedding day management. Also available is the "Out-of-Towner" package for couples that do not currently reside in Minneapolis but are getting married here to help match them up with vendors. Also contact us about our "Wedding Coach" package. It's a great package for the couple that wants to do their own planning but we have a built in monthly meeting to check on the progress and talk about what our clients should do in the next month.

Our new office hours are from 10 am - 4 pm, Monday-Friday. We also offer evening and weekend meetings with an appointment.

Give us a call! Happy planning!

2009-10-20T11:50:00.002-05:00

We had another wonderful wedding this past Saturday. Amy and Andrew were beaming throughout the entire day. The reception was held at Calhoun Beach Club which is a spectacular venue. D'Amico Catering did a fabulous job as always. Jenny Bedard was the photographer at this event and she was really great to work with. She brought her own "photo booth" for the guests to have fun with during cocktails. Jennifer and the Ladies at Luna Vinca did an impressive job with the floral. We tag teamed the decor. The bride rented our 28" tall pilsner vases and Luna Vinca designed a floral arrangement to set on the top of the vase with crystals dangling down. We did this to take advantage of the height of the room. Amy also rented our apothecary jars for a candy buffet. The guests kept coming back to refill the monogrammed Chinese take out boxes throughout the night. The entire day was a lot of fun for everyone, including us.

At Your Service Weddings is pleased to announce that we are opening an office in International Market Square. The location should be up and running by December 1st. Make an appointment for a consultation to stop in and see what we can do for you.

2009-10-15T11:53:00.004-05:00

Welcome to the new blog! We are very excited to be able to write about all of the adventures in wedding planning.

This past Saturday we had a beautiful wedding at the Chart House in Lakeville. Lora was the Lead Consultant at this wedding. The bride and groom were easy to work with and really enjoyed the day. Of course, there were two really good examples of why a wedding coordinator should be hired for at least the day of the wedding.

Going into rehearsal on Friday Lora discovered that the wedding coordinator at the church had forgotten about this rehearsal and was still on her way to the church for the 5:30 rehearsal. It was now 5:40. There was no time to waste because the rehearsal dinner started 6:30. Lora let the church coordinator know that she was going to start rehearsal and the coordinator could take over when she arrived. The plan worked. Introductions were done, questions about the following day were answered, then the wedding party was lined up at the front of the church when the coordinator walked in. The rehearsal dinner started a few minutes late, but it could have be a lot worse if Lora hadn't been there.

Saturday's wedding went well. It was a lovely ceremony with a festive atmosphere. The Chart House is always a unique and nice location to work at. During pictures, one of the groomsmen decided that it would be fun to climb up the rope connected to the ship that is outside of the restaurant. During this, he split his pants open. You guessed it, his bum was exposed. Luckily it was on the seam and Lora always carries a sewing kit. She sewed up the pants to almost perfect condition. The funny part is that right before he split his pants he said, "I always seem to put a hole in my pants during the dance at weddings". Needless to say he didn't put the pants back on the rest of the night so more damage wouldn't be done.

Thank you to Stacy and Rick for working with At Your Service Weddings. We loved working with you and wish you the best. Look for our post next week regarding this weekends upcoming wedding at Calhoun Beach Club and maybe some pictures from Stacy and Rick's wedding.

2009-10-02T21:40:00.002-05:00

This is the first post to the At Your Service Weddings blog!

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